Gautam Gambhir lashed out at critics after T20 World Cup victory, said – he is accountable to the dressing room, not social media

Ahmedabad. Team India won the title by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In the match held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8 (Sunday), the Indian team had given the Kiwis a target of 256 runs to win. While chasing the target, the Kiwi team got bundled out for 159 runs in 19 overs.

After this historic victory, Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir fiercely targeted the critics. Gambhir said that he is answerable only to the people present in the dressing room. His responsibility is only to the team and support staff, and criticism on social media does not affect him. Gambhir dedicated India’s title win in the T20 World Cup to legendary players VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.

Gautam Gambhir said in the press conference, ‘My responsibility is not for the people on social media. My responsibility is for the 30 people who are in the dressing room. Gambhir was a part of India’s first T20 World Cup winning team in 2007. Now in 2026, as a coach, he created history by winning the T20 World Cup title.

Gautam Gambhir says, ‘A coach is as good as his team. The players make me the coach that I am. The aggressive batting of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson (89 runs), opener Abhishek Sharma (52 runs) and Ishan Kishan (54 runs) played a big role in India’s victory.

‘Trophy matters, not milestones’

Gautam Gambhir said that now priority should be given to trophies in Indian cricket, not personal records. Gambhir says, ‘We celebrated milestones for a long time. Milestones don’t matter, trophies matter. I dedicate this title to Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. For whatever Rahul Bhai has done for Indian cricket. Gautam Gambhir also praised the fearless and courageous batting of the Indian team for the way VVS Laxman has led the Center of Excellence (COE). Gambhir says, ‘Now we have to give up the fear of defeat. It is okay to get out after scoring 120 runs. Our strength is courage and courage. Scoring 250-250 runs in the semi-finals and final is proof of this.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav praised the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and underlined the trust and understanding with him. Surya says, ‘I played in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for four years under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. There was never any argument because our priority was always the team’s victory.

Gautam Gambhir praised Suryakumar Yadav and reiterated that winning trophies is more important than personal records. Gambhir says, ‘Surya made my work easy. Now our responsibility is to win the trophy, not to celebrate achievements. The Indian team was successful in winning the T20 World Cup 2026 on the basis of fearlessness, courage and hard work. Coach Gautam Gambhir dedicated this victory to the hard work of the players and the importance of the trophy.